SOLUTION: I am totally lost on this problem, please explain and show the steps. Here is the problem: 2m^2n^2 - 32mn^2 + 8m^2 - 128 I thought the factor of this expression would be "2"

Question 6256: I am totally lost on this problem, please explain and show the steps.
Here is the problem:
2m^2n^2 - 32mn^2 + 8m^2 - 128
I thought the factor of this expression would be "2", but I lost and I do not understand how this is the answer: 2(m + 4)(m - 4)(mn^2 + 4)
Confused
tsj
Answer by rapaljer(4671) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
You did the first step right--you factored out the common factor of 2:

However what remains is something with 4 terms that factors by "grouping." From the first two terms, take out an , and from the last two terms, take out a 4.

At this point, I suspect that you copied the problem right. In order to factor by grouping, you MUST have a common factor after you do the grouping and factor as we did here. As you can see, this is NOT the case, because of the extra m in the first grouping. Let me suggest what I think the problem should have been:

Now you can take out the common factor, which is

Last, factor the which is the difference of two squares:

R^2 at SCC

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